


The best laid plans (Are the unplanned ones)

by Nat98



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Not Epilogue Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-22 23:55:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20000587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nat98/pseuds/Nat98
Summary: Shiro likes to make plans, by now he should've known that the universe never follows along with them, specially when it comes to Keith.





	The best laid plans (Are the unplanned ones)

Falling in love again was not part of Shiro's plan, after his break up with Adam he made a plan: go to Kerberos, return successfully and live what was left of his life at the Garrison. But of course, the universe had other plans where he found himself in the middle of an intergalactic war. Fighting alongside four teenagers and two aliens from an extinct planet with the aid of magic lions that could transform into a giant robot. Well, no one could say his life was boring. In the middle of it, there was a constant in his hectic life. Keith. Keith, that young desert boy that waited for him after he was presumed dead, who was with him when he broke up with Adam, and who never pity him when he found out he had a terminal disease. Keith, who could be quiet with everyone else but who couldn't stop talking with Shiro about everything, from his life at a foster home to his love for the stars and space. Falling in love with Keith was the easiest thing in his life. It wasn't some sort of big revelation, it was progressive and slow as if it was always meant to be. One day watching the stars from the Castle's observation deck he had looked at Keith while they were remembering the old days at the Garrison and thought 'I love him so much'. And that was it, he simply came to terms with it, it wasn't surprising, it just was. He loved Keith and he would do everything for him, he would die and come back just to see him again, he would do anything to see Keith happy.   
So he created a new plan: confess his love for Keith, win the war, go back to Earth and make him happy. But again life had other plans, he died, got stuck in the Black Lion's conscience, come back to life in a body that wasn't his, and the worst, remembering what his clone did to Keith. With the new body came the memories, things he didn't do but remember as his own, attacking the Voltron team, the fight at the clone facility, and Keith's desperate confession. Even if it wasn't the love confession Shiro longed to hear, in some sort of way- maybe even a wrong way- he cherished those words, he kept them in his heart. But after that whenever he saw Keith he couldn't help but feel guilty, every time he saw the scar he had put on Keith's face he kept on thinking that he was bad for Keith. How could he be any good for him if he kept on making him risk his life, he would always love Keith, but he could do it from afar, allowing Keith to be his own person and most importantly keeping him safe.   
So he stays away from Keith, moves to the Green Lion and keeps as much distance from Keith as possible, once they arrive to Earth he tries to keep their relationship as friendly as possible but he can't help but think that Keith has already found his own family away, away from him, family in his mom and the blades. So he keeps his distance and changes his plans slightly, he won't confess his love for Keith but will make sure that he's happy.   
He thinks it's a great plan, a perfect one even, until the war is over and he has nothing to plan for, there's no big meaningful goal to reach, no war to win, just pieces to rebuild and families to reunite. Shiro's is lost, all his plans were supposed to be for something great, his whole purpose in life was to fight, that's what defined him. And now he had nothing, he was a war man in time of peace. Everyone seemed to find a purpose after the war. Lance and Allura had moved to New Altea with Coran, Pidge was happy with her family reunited and working with technology from all over the universe Hunk was happy to work with people from other galaxies learning about their food and cultures, and Keith was his own person now, he gave aid with the blades to refugees and planets affected by the Galra and had even been promoted to senior officer, not to mention that half the universe seemed to be in love with him. All of them had purposed, Shiro didn't. He had thought that when all of this was over he would get to be with Keith, they would be together and maybe even travel across space with Kosmo, doing missions for the Blade and the Coalition.   
But if this war had taught him anything, it's that the universe never follows the plan. So he now finds himself grounded on Earth with nothing much to do but to play diplomat for the Garrison and to pretend that he's really happy with it.   
He keeps contact with him, like with the rest of the paladins, but is just small updates about where he is. There's no more long talks at night, just this. Two best friends who drifted apart, Shiro blames himself, how could he not. He is now too much of a coward to talk to others, they have lives to live while he's just a poster boy for the Coalition that can't even go to Space again.   
So he keeps a very monotone routine, prepares a new plan based on it, goes to meetings, makes public appearances and delivers beautiful speeches to the Coalition ambassadors. Sometimes he'll visit Pidge and Matt but he can't handle the looks Pidge gives him when she asks if he's talked to Keith or the others. They all know he's drifting apart. That he doesn't call them, he just asks how they are from small, almost impersonal updates.   
"You know," Pidge tells him in one of his rare visits to the labs. "We're planning on a reunion in New Altea, to celebrate a year of the end of the war, it'll be in two weeks and we both can go together"   
Ouch. Shiro thinks he knows they all talk to each other, he knows Hunk and Pidge visit New Altea regularly, he knows Keith talks to all of them, that he sends pictures of the planets he visits, he knows they are not drifting apart as he is. But it still hurts to know that they don't tell him these things, it's hard to face a reality where they all move on from him so easily.   
So he tries to give Pidge the best smile he can. "Sure, I'll have to see my schedule. It would have been better to know this a few months ago tough" he fails to appear unaffected.   
Pidge turns and looks at Shiro as if she's tired of him, with barely contained anger, and he's surprised. Pidge has never looked at him like that. , not even when his clone attacked the Castle.   
"You know Shiro, I'm getting tired of this" she gestures angrily between them both. "We're all getting tired. You know we all tried to keep in touch with you, talk to you but you just keep ignoring us all. I know the war was hard on you but you didn't have to ignore us, treat us like you treat the rest of the ATLAS crew" she sighs tiredly. "So is really not our fault that you don't know about it, so in two weeks I'm leaving, it's up to you if you wanna come" and with that, she leaves. 

Shiro wants to get angry, it'll be really easy to blame his lack of communication with the team to others, but he knows that Pidge is right, whenever one of them tries to contact him or when they try to have a real conversation with him, he just dismissed them, all of them get tired, of course. Why wouldn't they? If he just keeps pretending to be busy and ignoring them. He ignores when Lance had asked him to visit him and Allura in New Altea, he ignored Hunk when he invited him for some drinks and he keeps ignoring the serious talk Keith wanted to have with him. The reality was that all of this scared him, especially talking to Keith. He was terrified of what could happen. Ha. Who would have thought that I'll become a coward?. He thinks while he decides if he should go to New Altea or not.   
In the end, he talks to Pidge again and she tells him that even Keith, who's apparently 'super busy with blades stuff' is coming. So his desire to see Keith again wins and two weeks later he finds himself in the Green Lion with Pidge going to New Altea and imagining how much Keith has changed.   
"You know Shiro" Pidge breaks his thoughts "we've missed you so much, really. Even Keith, even when he doesn't say it. He misses you. A lot"   
He appreciates Pidge trying to lift his mood, but he is not really optimistic about it. He hasn't talked to Keith in three months, the last time they talked or communicated was a message from Keith, a photo of Kosmo on some planet with a red sun with the caption: we're both alright. He's embarrassed to admit that he rereads that message whenever he feels lonely. He must have been quiet for a while because Pidge is now looking at him with curiosity, so he just answers with a sincere  
"I missed y'all too" especially Keith, he doesn't say. But from the look in Pidge's face, he knows she understands.   
"Well, is never too late to be a team again, so buckle up 'cause we'll arrive in a few phoebs"   
He can feel his the anxiety building up in his stomach, but he also feels happy. He'll finally get to see Keith. 

~~

New Altea is a beautiful place, Shiro has only been here once. When the war was over and everyone was euphorically celebrating it, he hadn't been able to appreciate how beautiful this place was. Now seeing it from the Green Lion he could understand why Lance would come live here. It was beautiful.   
"Amazing, isn't it?"   
"Yeah" he didn't know what else to say, he was awestruck with this place  
"Well, Lance and Allura are waiting for us in the hangar. Hunk is already in the Castle"   
"And Keith? " he says, trying to sound as calm as possible.   
"He'll come. Later, but he'll come. After all, he was the one who proposed this reunion in the first place"   
Shiro didn't know this, he thought it was organized by Lance, it sounds like something he would do.   
"Oh, I ...I didn't know that"  
"Yeah, he really…" Pidge cuts herself when she hears an incoming transmission.  
"Well if it isn't my favorite genius and leader" he hears Lance voice through the comms. "Welcome to New Altea, get off that ship you lazy sloths, 'cause we wanna give you both a hug"   
Pidge is the first to get off the Lion, and she throws herself into a hug between Lance and Allura. Shiro can see the changes, especially in Lance, he's no longer a lanky teenager wearing and smug smile, he has grown and even bulks up a little. He seems happy when he looks at Allura while she's telling something that makes Pidge laugh. Lance then looks up and sees Shiro, Shiro awkwardly waves his hand, trying to look relaxed, while he approaches and offers his hand to Lance.   
"None of that man" and he immediately pulls Shiro into a hug. "I'm happy to see you, Shiro. We've really missed you"   
"I've missed you too," he says while disentangling himself from the hug and turning to Allura, who's looking at him with a warm smile on his face. Allura hugs him without saying anything, but he feels that she understands, she understands how much he misses them but how he feels like he's not good enough for any of them.   
"Is good to see you again, Admiral Shirogane" he sees her eyes twinkling, and he can't help but give a small proud smile, coming from Allura he feels like his title means something, something meaningful and important.   
"Okay, as much as I like heartfelt reunions I wanna see Hunk and rest" Pidge chimes in, whiles she's already heading to the Castle.   
Shiro, it's thankful to get some rest. He wants to think what he's gonna say to Keith, how's he gonna act around him. So he lies on the bed in the room that has been assigned to him, it's so comfortable that he allows his eyes to close and starts thinking of Keith, has he changed, has his hair grow, is he seeing someone, the last one makes him feel anxious and a bit jealous even if he knows he has no right to feel like that. He's hasn't even talked to Keith in months, he definitely has no right to feel jealous if Keith is seeing someone. 

Knock knock 

The sound coming from the door brings him out of his thoughts. He stands up and opens the door expecting to see Lance or maybe Allura. What he finds is Hunk, smiling at him with one those warm smiles he has.   
"Heard you made it here, so just came by to say hi"   
"Uhm… Hi" Shiro says a bit awkwardly, he has to admit he wasn't expecting Hunk to change so much, not only he had grown physically but he also looked more mature, gone was the teenager who threw up the first time they rode in Blue.   
"So what, no hug for an old friend?" Hunk says as he opens his arms for Shiro   
"Hunk! It's really good to see you" he says while clapping Hunk on the back. "I was just resting, I was a little…tired"   
"Man, don't tell me I woke you up"   
"Nah, it's alright. It should probably get ready for dinner anyway" he says while rubbing the back of his neck.   
"Oh right, I was also supposed to tell you dinner will be ready in like half an hour, you should probably dress up Lance organized a great a banquet" he pauses "And of course I made the food, so get ready everyone else is already doing it, even Keith and he just arrived"   
Shiro stops functioning for a bit Keith is here.   
"Wait… I thought he was coming later"   
"Yeah well, apparently he finished his mission before, so…" he is doing some sort of smirk that Shiro can't quite understand. "Anyway, see you in a while, it's good to see you again man"   
As soon as Shiro closes the door he starts panicking. He's so not ready to see Keith, he doesn't know how to act or react when he sees him. He breathes deeply. In and out. He calms himself enough to make a quick plan for the night, he's not ready to have any serious conversation with Keith (or with any of the other paladins to be honest). He'll dress up, go to dinner, make small conversation, drink a bit of nunvil for his nerves, and avoid staying alone with Keith. It's an easy plan, I can't go wrong. 

By now he should have known that the universe never follows along with his plans. It all works wonderful, he sees Keith, manages to hug him and give him a smile, he congratulates him for his work with the blades, all of this comes easy for him. It's not hard to feel proud of Keith. Later they all sit on the table, he places himself between Hunk and Pidge. Everything goes along his plan: they talk, they laugh and they drink, he may have drank a couple of drinks too much, but he feels relaxed and a bit fuzzy in the head but it feels great. Until he realizes that the only ones left in the table, apart from him, are Coran and Keith.   
"Well, boys. It's time for me to call it a night"   
"Goodnight Coran, see you tomorrow" Keith looks relaxed, maybe he too had a bit too many drinks. Shiro starts fidgeting on his sit, Keith takes a sip from his glass of water, places it on the table and turns to Shiro. He can't really read Keith's expression. Maybe it's because of the alcohol on his system, he doesn't really know, but he can't guess what Keith is thinking. He immediately feels guilty, he used to know all of Keith's expressions, he could read all of his moods, now he just feels lost (maybe it is the alcohol, but it doesn't stop him from feeling anxious and guilty).   
"So...uhm. How is everything with the blades? "   
"Seriously" Keith deadpans. "After a year of not seeing each other, that's the only thing you can ask" he arches an eyebrow.  
"I just…we haven't seen each other in a while, I want to know how you are" Shiro replies sheepishly, he wants to say something else. I'm sorry my clone tried to kill you, I'm sorry we don't talk anymore, I love you so much.   
"Shiro, are we seriously going to ignore the fact that we barely talk nowadays " Keith raises his voice a little.   
Maybe it's the alcohol but Shiro is feeling dizzy, he's not sure he can talk, he feels a bit nauseous, still, he manages to mutter:  
"It's just-I… we've both been so busy"   
"So that's it, after everything we've been through, our friendship has come to small updates via text, and seeing each other once a month".   
Now Keith is definitely angry, he's looking at Shiro with a mixture of disappointment and anger. He hates it, he doesn't want Keith to look at him like that. But he deserves it. 

"Sorry Keith, we- I'm really sorry" he says lamely, he doesn't know what else to says. Keith.   
"So that's it?" Keith stands up and yells "no explanation!?". Keith never yells, maybe it's the alcohol but Shiro does the same. He stands and gets closer to Keith. "fuck you, Shiro, I thought we were best friends, I thought I matter a little to you…"   
Shiro cuts him, he grabs Keith's hands.   
"of course you matter, you matter so much to me that I have to let you go, you can't go around the universe risking your own life just for me, a broken man with no goals or aspirations in life! I'm not worth it Keith" He's definitely yelling now, but he doesn't care who hears him, or if he's being too noisy. What matters is that Keith is looking at him sadly and with a sigh he says.   
" I think we both drank a lot, go to sleep Shiro. We'll talk tomorrow". And with that, he starts heading to his room. When he's almost exiting the dining room he turns and says.   
"By the way Shiro, you are worth it" and he leaves Shiro with a pain in his chest and a dizzy feeling that he keeps blaming on the alcohol. 

~~

The headache he wakes up with is his punishment for last night, he definitely regrets drinking that much and he swears he'll never accept nunvill from Cora again. Ha! I've said that before. Shiro stands up and gets ready for the day. He looks himself in the mirror and tries to imagine what's he's going to say to Keith.   
While he's thinking he hears someone knocking on his door, when he opens he's surprised to see Keith, fresh and with no signs of a hangover. Shiro thinks he's perfect.   
"Hey Shiro, I wanted to talk to you, about last night" he looks into the bedroom "Can I come in"   
"Y-yeah sure, I also wanted to talk to you" he moves and lets Keith into his room.   
Keith stands unsure in the middle of it, and for a second it reminds of the first time Keith was in the Garrison, young boy who couldn't believe he was getting a second opportunity in life, he had been nervous but also determined.   
"Look, Shiro, I'm really sorry for yelling at you last night" he starts "but I'm mad at you, I just want to know what's going on why are you pushing me-everyone away. Do really believe what you said last night? That you're not worth it?"   
Shiro doesn't know what to say, he was definitely not ready to talk to Keith and definitely not about this.   
Keith sighs and sits on the edge of the bed.   
"Shiro, I want to help. Please talk to me. Please"  
He's never been able to deny Keith anything.   
"I'm really not worth it Keith, you can't waste your time on someone like me, the man you've become doesn't need me. I will just slow you down. Look at me Keith, I don't know what to do with my life, I have nothing else to be. I was supposed to die. I don't know what I'm supposed to do know, and I can't put that burden on you, it's better if you just keep going on with your life Keith. If all of you move on from me" he feels drained, he's never voiced his thoughts before.   
Keith is looking at him with a sad expression   
"Shiro," he says softly, and Shiro would do anything just to hear Keith say his name like that again. "The man I'm now, it's because of you. You believed in me when no one el wanted to, you were there for me when I was alone and lost" he smiles a little. "I won't leave you, Shiro, I don't care how many times I have to save you I'll keep doing it. Even if it's from yourself"   
"I love you"   
Shiro claps his hand over his mouth. He was not supposed to say that, that was not part of the plan, none from his recent plans at least.   
"Wait, what?" Keith looks so confused and lost and even a little…hopeful?  
Screw my plans. He thinks. Is not as if things go the way I plan   
"I love you so much Keith, I really don't think that I deserve you. It hurt so much to act like we're strangers, but every time I to you I can't help to remember all the pain that I have caused you. You don't deserve that, Keith, you deserve everything in this universe all the good things on it should be yours"  
Keith gives a soft laugh and Shiro feels a little hurt. After all, he's opening his heart to Keith.   
Keith stops and raises his hands as if to placate Shiro.   
"You have no idea how much I've longed to hear those words Shiro, it's just hard to imagine that this is the moment you chose to say them"  
Shiro doesn't know what to say.   
" Shiro, I love you, so much I would never give up on you"  
"Keith I-" he doesn't know what else to say, he's tired, tired of hiding his feelings, tired of being alone, tired of missing Keith. He sits heavily on the bed next to Keith.   
"I had a plan…well many plans, but whenever I made them something went wrong" Keith snorts and says gently.   
"Shiro, by now you should know the universe never follows the plans we've made, look at me, I'm a good example of that"   
Shiro looks at Keith on the eyes, those beautiful purple eyes he loves.   
"You were always meant for greatness, Keith," he says softly and thinks screw this, I'm tired of being a coward.   
He grabs Keith's chin slowly and tilts it up, he's giving Keith time to pull away, to say no, but Keith looks calm if not happy. So he takes a leap of faith and kisses Keith. It's soft and chaste, but is, amazing, it's everything Shiro wanted and more. It feels like home. Keith is the one who pulls apart first.   
"Well, old timer took you long enough to do that" he looks smug, very pleased with himself.   
"I love you, Keith, I'm sorry for everything you been through because of me"   
"Shiro, you really need to talk to me or to someone when you're feeling like this. Everything I've done for you I did it willingly. I love you Shiro I'll never give up on you".   
Keith is looking at him with so much faith and love in his eyes that he is starting to believe him, maybe his life is not over, maybe he can have more with Keith at his side, maybe he doesn't need to stay on Earth, he can travel with Keith across the universe. He embraces Keith and kisses him again, this time is deeper but the feeling is the same home.   
"I love you, Keith, thank you for saving me"   
"As many times as it takes old-timer, as many times at it takes"   
Shiro feels like he finally has a goal, a greater purpose in life. Loving Keith.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoy it.  
> If there are any mistakes please do tell me, English is not my first language.  
> Thanks for reading. x


End file.
